Legacy Rising
by Fan of Fanfics
Summary: Masks are a strange thing in the culture of man. Some say the wearer even takes on the personality of their mask. In this case, they are most certainly right. The Hidden Leaf has yet another colorful character in their midst, known as the Green Goblin. Pairing is Naruto/Tenten Created with the help of Karasu87, check out his version, Naruto: Legacy of the Goblin.


Hello Everybody. Decided, with Karasu87 dusting off my old challenge idea, that it was time for me to give it a shot as well. Please refer to the note at the bottom of the page for more info, please and thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Spectacular Spiderman.

Cold. That's all there was now. He had blacked-out in the woods, probably expended too much of his chakra trying to...what was he trying to do? He couldn't quite remember...It had something to do with chakra control. Damn it, what was it...he was trying...to beat Sasuke, he remembered. It had something to do with trees. Climbing trees...No, not climbing...walking up them. That was it. Kakashi-sensei had them attempting to use their chakra to climb trees using only their feet. But if that was the case...why was he so cold. Maybe it was night, even then, it shouldn't have been so cold.

And he wasn't laying on grass, he felt. Nor was he on a bed. It felt slick, solid, and more pertinent, cold. He opened his eyes, yet couldn't see sky. Tried to move, yet couldn't. He struggled to see where he was, yet couldn't. Both of his legs and hands had been locked down to whatever surface he was on, and his head had met the same fate. His eyes and mouth were the only things he could move, despite his struggling. He cried out for help, and for a moment, nothing happened...for a moment, all was still.

Movement drew Naruto's attention. But it wasn't a human, or even an animal. It was some sort of...mechanical snake, or something like that. It had no mouth, but had a single, strange, glowing-red eye. It got closer, and Naruto felt his breath catch in his throat as it got up close and personal with his left eye. Forcing said eye closed, he saw with his open right eye four, needle-like appendages extend from the head of whatever this thing was. He cried out in pain as they jabbed his closed eyelid, digging just below the surface of its skin, before forcibly prying it open, giving it a clear view of the blonde's eye. Naruto cringed when from its own eye, it flashed a bright red light, which he couldn't look away from, directly into his optic nerve.

"Retinal scan, complete," a strange, metallic voice announced, apathetic and mono-toned as another of the strange snake-like machines extended from a panel on the ceiling, this one with a needle. Now Naruto really squirmed. With his arm locked down, the needle found its target easily, jamming in none to carefully, causing Naruto to scream. He watched his blood, kept in a clear tube, seemingly become electrified, before the voice from nowhere spoke again.

"DNA analysis complete," it said. "Storing sample for future use." Thankfully, the two machines retracted at the announcement. Unfortunately, it didn't appear that his torment was over. "Retrieving voice print." That didn't sound good. The things holding him down suddenly turned burning hot, sending electricity surging through his body. The blonde screamed as though it would relieve his pain. Pain as though ever pain receptor in his body were being stimulated at the same time. Little did he know, that is exactly what was happening.

This treatment went on for several minute, the shocks and torture changing now and then to force many different sounds from his throat, in a variety of tones and octaves. By the time it finished, announcing that it had a proper voice print, Naruto was only half-conscious. "Please state name," the voice said, and for a moment, Naruto didn't answer, still out of breath. "Please state name." This time, another shock ran through the blonde.

"AH, Naruto Uzumaki!" he yelped, and suddenly the restraints across his arms, legs, and head released with a hissing sound and metal scraping against metal. Naruto leapt off of that cold table like it was on fire. Rushing to what could only be a door, he banged into it with his fists, but it wouldn't budge. "Open up, dammit. Let me out!" he yelled. He was unprepared for what happened.

The door slid open with a hiss, causing Naruto to spill into a large hallway in surprise. He tried the other doors along the hall, but none opened in the way the first did. In the end, he was forced to follow the hall to the end, the last door opening at his command, much as the first did, and the blonde felt his breath catch in his throat. The room he was in had a wall-length window. And outside that window, he saw fish swimming by. Wherever he was, it was under the water. But how did he get there. He wasn't aware that he was being watched until he heard the voice from behind him.

"I see you're awake." Whipping around, Naruto caught sight of a rather tall man, with dark-red hair, wearing what appeared to be a business suit. He seemed to be examining Naruto more than Naruto was him however. "A little short, but you should still be able to fill out the suit...especially after your modifications." Naruto glared at the man.

"Are you the one who brought me here?" he demanded. The man shrugged, walking up to the boy, circling him like a shark.

"In a sense," he replied. "My computer systems have had their eyes and ears on you since you arrived in the area. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Norman Osborn...at least, what is left of him. And you, Naruto Uzumaki...you are about to become his greatest creation." Not comprehending a thing the man was talking about, Naruto reverted to his instincts, and tried to tackle the man, only to pass right through him as though he weren't there. Turning, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the man's form crackle and fade like static on a television screen, before reforming as he was before. Believing the man was some sort of ghost, Naruto found himself backed against the wall, and watched as a metal panel slid over to protect the window. For what purpose, the blonde wasn't sure, but all he knew was that it wouldn't be good.

"You are about to carry on the legacy of Norman Osborn. This submersible base of operations contains weapons, as well as the means to create more should you find yourself short., medical facility, as well as sleeping quarters. You were disabled and transported via glider once we had determined you a proper subject. The tests we subjected you too were a set of security clearance procedures, locking down this base as yours and only yours, which will take effect shortly," the man said, and Naruto was restrained by more of the snake-like machines, before he was subject to another needle, while some sort of brace was locked to his left forearm. He felt the sharp sting and felt a cold sensation spread from the point of injection.

"You are being given an injection of nanites. The process you are about to undergo has been known to have a few side effects, both mental and physical. The nanites will insure that physically, nothing gets out of hand, while mentally, when you break...you break exactly the way you are supposed to." Motioning to the brace, he continued. "For now, that device on your arm will be your key to get inside this facility, as well as call your glider to you. Your suit will be properly calibrated in approximately five-hours, restoring glider-interface and weapon systems to full functionality."

"You can't do this to me!" Naruto shouted, and he could swear he saw the image of the man smile dangerously, before answering.

"You don't have a choice," he said, before fading away, the vents in the room opening and a thick, green mist began to fill the room. Naruto held his breath for as long as he could, but he eventually had to get oxygen. The green filled his lungs and he felt as though he were drowning, yet at the same time on fire. He screamed and tried to punch the wall, but he felt his vision begin swimming. One more punch actually dented the metal wall, before he once more fell into unconsciousness.

Back at Tazuna's, Kakashi kept his one, visible eye on the clock. He knew Naruto was always determined in his training, but he had been gone a full day. He was confident the blonde could take on hired thugs. But this man, Gato, had been known to hire shinobi. It wasn't impossible that Naruto had had a run-in with one. He turned his gaze toward the window, as Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, entered with tea for the Jonin. "Still no sign of him?" she asked, and the silver-haired man shook his head.

"I'm giving it one more hour. Then it will have been twenty-four hours, and then I go out to search for him myself," he said, and Tsunami just sat down next to him.

"Who is out right now?" she asked, and Kakashi sighed.

"I have Sasuke out right now. Hopefully he doesn't go missing as well." A knock at the door drew their attention and Kakashi pulled out a kunai, opening the door carefully. As it turned out, it was only Sasuke, supporting a drenched and shivering Naruto on his shoulder.

"I found him wandering the woods, soaked and babbling like a maniac. Something about ghosts and needles and green mist," the Uchiha said, handing the soaking genin to his sensei, who led him upstairs. Getting rid of his clothes, Kakashi forced the young blonde into a bed, making sure he was well covered to preserve his heat. He waited until the blonde drifted off into an uneasy sleep. As he came down, both his other students were waiting.

"Tell me everything, Sasuke," Kakashi demanded, his voice leaving no room for arguments as the Uchiha nodded.

_Flashback_

_Sasuke first decided to check the town. Knowing Naruto, the blonde probably went to get something to eat. The town may have been poverty stricken, but if there was a ramen stand, the blonde would probably buy enough to feed the owners for a year. But nobody in the small village had seen Naruto at all since the last time they had been to the town to get supplies for their dinner, two nights ago. Sasuke scowled. It figured the blonde would get lost on their first mission outside of the village._

_Taking to the woods, Sasuke leapt through the trees, trying to cover as much ground as he could, as quickly as possible. He looked at the sun in the sky, knowing his search time was running out. Without warning, a scream broke the silence of the woods. He decided to check it out, on the off chance it had something to do with his missing teammate. _

_He arrived down where a small river emptied into the ocean, and with wide eyes descended from his tree to assess the situation. Two men, fishermen by the looks of them, were laying unconscious near the shore. One was bleeding from the head, by the looks of it bludgeoned by something. The other had the jagged end of a snapped fishing rod piercing his right shoulder. It hadn't hit anything vital, but the man had passed out from pain. Sasuke growled. Whoever did this might have been the one to take Naruto. But he couldn't pursue until he made sure the two would be alright. Luckily he paid attention in class when they talked about first-aid._

_Leaning the two against a tree, having patched them up as best he could, he rushed back into the forest at his fastest speed. He made sure to check his weapons pouches to make sure he had a stock of Kunai and Shuriken. If this guy was a fighter, he might need them. No way he was going to be caught unprepared, as Naruto was. Speaking of the blonde, some movement up ahead had Sasuke hit the brakes. There was Naruto...at least it looked like Naruto. For all he knew, it could have been a henge. Considering the large arm-bracer he was wearing, it may be an enemy doing a poor imitation to fool them. Still, the way he was moving was slow, leaning against trees for support, and he was soaked to the bone, as though he had swam some great distance._

_Dropping behind the blonde, he placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to whip around in surprise and grab Sasuke's shirt collar, tackling them both to the ground. Strangely, Sasuke could hear soft, yet eerie laughter escaping the blonde and the Uchiha got a good look into Naruto's eyes. The once pure blue eyes were stained with small flecks of green, and his pupils had dilated somewhat. It gave him an almost psychotic look. Managing to throw a good punch, it hit straight into Naruto's temple, causing him to release his grip. _

_It must have knocked a bit of sense into the blonde, because his pupils returned to normal, and he backed away, up against a tree, mumbling under his breath. Sasuke couldn't make out much other than a few words. Among them, the most prominent were 'ghost' and 'green mist.' There was something strangely familiar to Sasuke about the whole thing, about how pathetic and scared Naruto was, curled into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. He vaguely recalled doing something similar when he woke after his brother had slaughtered the Uchiha clan. It was the only time Sasuke had felt actual sympathy toward his teammate. Standing, he held out his hand._

_Naruto looked at the offered hand, as though unsure of whether to take it or not, but after a moment decided it was alright. Pulling him up over his shoulder to support the blonde while he walked, the two made their way back to Tazuna's_

_Flashback End_

Kakashi pondered the story his student had told. He wasn't sure what had happened to Naruto, but he was temporarily off duty for the time being until they could figure it out for sure. His mind drifted to the blonde upstairs, sleeping fitfully, obvious nightmares running through him. He'd have to check on the seal as well when he calmed down enough.

By the time Naruto awoke, sunlight was streaming onto his face. He hopped out of his bed, feeling remarkably energized for some reason. Seeing his dry clothes laid out, he began to put them on, but found they wouldn't fit right. His pants were too short for his legs, and his shirt was stretched to the limit. What had been normal-sized muscles for someone his age had hardened into high-density, yet lean muscle, and his slightly flat stomach was chiseled into six-pack abs. He was stumped. Overnight, he seemed to have grown, and his muscles had become incredible. He never thought a good-nights sleep could have such an effect.

"Hey, guys, you need to see this!" he shouted, but nobody came.

"Of course they didn't," someone said. "None of them give a rats ass about you." Naruto's eyes widened and he whipped around to find the source of the voice. It was a man's voice, he could tell, but he didn't know who's it was. He thought maybe he just imagined it all, until the voice spoke again with a dark chuckle. "Oh no, you're not hearing things. I'm very real."

"Who's there!" Naruto shouted, only for the door to open, revealing Tsunami.

"It's just me, Naruto," she said. "The rest of your team went out with dad into town to get some groceries. It's just me, you and Inari up in his room." Naruto sighed, for a moment forgetting the voice to deal with more pressing matters.

"Either I've grown, or my clothes have shrunk." Realizing the boy's predicament, the daughter of the bridge-builder had to admit the boy was much bigger than when he was brought back by Sasuke the day before. It was almost unbelievable.

"Naruto, what happened to you?" she asked. "It must have started when you got lost. What happened while you were gone?" Naruto rubbed his temples as he tried to remember, but all he got were flashes of images, most of his time away from the team a blur. It was actually a little painful to try and remember.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to need to find some new clothes, if you happen to have any..." he hinted, and the woman nodded.

"Dad probably has something you can wear. I'll be right back." As she left, Naruto's cheerful smile didn't last when the strange voice made itself known again.

"If you really want new clothes, I happen to know where you can get a new suit...previously owned." Naruto growled, looking side to side.

"Who the hell is that talking?" he asked, before hearing the voice once again, laughing, this time from directly behind him. He could almost feel breath at his neck. Whipping around, he gazed into the eyes of...himself. He was only looking into a mirror. "Is this some kind of a joke?" He watched in horror, however, when his reflection's face twisted into a dark grin, and he felt like his body wasn't in control as he got up close and personal with it.

"It's no joke, and you know it, Naruto," his reflection said, chuckling darkly. It was only now Naruto realized it was himself who was speaking for both sides of the conversation, even if the second voice was disguised somehow. "And even if you don't, you will. After all, we're going to be spending lots and lots of time together." While he didn't actually move, this time, he watched his reflection move on its own, reach up to his face and rip it off like a rubber mask, revealing green skin beneath. His chin, like his ears, were long and pointed. His nose wasn't much better. His eyes were slightly yellowed, and he seemed to have no irises, just pitch-black pupils. On his head, he wore a strange purple hat with two long straps which hung down the sides of his face.

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, and when they opened again, his reflection was back to normal. He rubbed his eyes. Maybe he hadn't gotten as good of sleep as he thought. Walking down stairs, he moved into the restroom, splashing water over his face. Looking into the bathroom mirror, he saw his reflection wink at him. "Go away," the Blonde demanded, but his reflection shook his head.

"Can't do it," he replied in a sing-song manner, though that eerie voice made it seem rather creepy. "You're stuck with me. Because I'm you, and you are me, but neither of us are the other." Naruto's eyes were spinning at the strange logic, and his reflection just laughed at him, before returning to normal. Naruto splashed more water on his face as the door opened, Tsunami having brought him the new clothes. They weren't the best fit, but they would do for now. Just a plain brown shirt and pants so worn they had holes around them.

"Who were you talking to Naruto?" the woman asked. "I heard someone else speaking." Naruto started to sweat. The last thing he needed was for the others thinking he was crazy.

"Uh, nobody," he said. "I've been the only one here." Tsunami gave him a curious look before shrugging.

"I guess," she replied. "With dad being threatened by Gato, I guess I'm just getting a little paranoid." Leaving the room so he could change, Naruto threw on the clothes before climbing out the window. The house was right on the water, so Naruto ducked down onto the dock, using the water as a means to see his reflection.

"Alright, now spill. Who are you really? What is happening to me?" Rather than answer, his reflection just grinned insanely at him, before he felt an intense pain in his head, and his pupils dilated to the point they overtook his irises, then receding to give him black, beady eyes, while his white sclera turned a slight yellow. Pressing a button on his arm brace, the slightly-psychotic looking blonde called into the house.

"Tsunami, I'm going into town," he announced. "I'm going to meet up with Kakashi-sensei, try to figure out what happened." From inside, he could hear Tsunami call out in concern.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, popping her head through a window to watch the boy begin to walk off. "Your sensei would probably want you to stay here at the house." The blonde laughed, but it wasn't the laughter of the young boy she had come to know the past few days. It seemed to try and mimic it, but there was an almost coldness to it that stunned her.

"I'll be fine," he replied, waving without turning around, his eyes hidden in shadow. As he reached the safety of the trees, he watched a strange metal objects descend through the leaves and limbs. It looked like some form odd bat monster. Leaping up, Naruto's body twisted into a flip, landing on the hovering object, which took off into the air, flying out until it reached the sea. Pressing another button, he watched another, much larger object rise from the waters below, a large metal panel sliding open like a door, allowing the blonde to access the interior.

This was a whole new experience for Naruto. He could feel, see, smell, as though nothing were wrong, though his body seemed to move of its own accord. It was more than a little surreal. As the flying-device landed, he hopped off, and with a glow of light, Naruto remembered what had happened, the man that had done this to him appearing before him.

"By the looks of you, I'd say that the Nanites were successful in creating the Goblin persona." Naruto laughed and could hear it wasn't even his voice that was speaking, but the voice his 'reflection' had been using. Looking him deep in the eye, Osborn frowned.

"You seem unhappy, Naruto. I would think someone with your aspirations of one-upping your rival, would find this as a blessing," he announced, as Naruto's eyes returned to normal and he felt he could move again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, and Osborn snapped his fingers, lighting up the whole area.

"I'll start at the beginning," he announced, motioning for Naruto to follow, which he did, albeit reluctantly. "I am merely a memory, a holographic AI with the memories and personality of Norman Osborn programmed into me. Back in my day, or when the original Norman Osborn was alive, I, or he, was both Scientist, and Businessman. Like all men, he got a taste of power, and wanted more. He conspired to take it through backdoor deals and backstabbing associates, climbing his way to the top. But he hit a couple snags along the way." As they walked through the massive hangar, holographic screens appeared, on one showing a large man in a business suit, with sharp teeth and chalk-white skin. More than likely an albino.

The other screen showed a young man in a red-and-blue jumpsuit, decorated in a web-like design with a spider insignia on his chest. And the Holo-Osborn continued. "During this time, my company was in the process of creating an artificial Performance Enhancing drug, called Globulin Green. The gas you have been subject too was a concentrated and perfected version of that drug, and I'm sure you noticed a few changes." Naruto looked down at himself and nodded.

"And so, to make sure my reputation would go untarnished, I stole a few of my company's new weaponry, such as the glider you just flew in on, and a high-powered, weaponized flight-suit, and took on the masked persona of the Green Goblin. A persona I passed on to you. Using the nanites I had injected in you, not only can I ensure a faster healing than you already have, but they linked to your spinal column, sending tiny electrical signals into your brain to direct a brand new personality coming into existence." Naruto just growled. Oh yeah, he had met this 'Goblin.'

"How do I get rid of it? And why did you give him to me in the first place?" Naruto asked. The Holo-Osborn didn't even bat an eye.

"To answer your first question, you can't. Even if you remove the nanites, the damage is done. Learn to live with it. The more you fight the Goblin the more he'll fight back." Naruto pulled off his forehead protector, seeing his new Green-skinned counterpart waving back at him, watching him with those beady eyes of his. "But if you embrace it, this blessing, you will have a power you've never known. Sure, you may not be exactly the same Naruto you were, but do you really want to be? Do you want to be ordinary, or extraordinary. Like I used to tell my boy, you need to just suck it up, and be a man. If you want something, you need to do whatever needs done, you need to take advantage of everything you can to get it, by force if necessary."

"As to question two, you were selected when my systems witnessed your commitment to your training. As it stands, nobody remembers me. In time, anything can crumble and be forgotten. And that is why I decided my legacy would withstand the test of time. I had this facility built, created my Holographic likeness, and engineered it all beneath the sea to last a thousand years or more. Last so that I could share it with someone...a son, if you will. To continue the story of the Man and the Monster, of Osborn and the Goblin. And that someone is going to be you."

"Me?" Naruto asked, both frightened, and strangely exhilarated. He had to admit, Osborn had a good point. He felt stronger, faster, healthier, and he actually felt as though his mind was running faster. Looking back at the metal plate of his forehead protector, Naruto's sclera yellowed again, but his eyes remained blue, with those hints of green. "I have to admit, it is a very good offer...I'm in."

"Excellent," Osborn replied, and with a buzz, the brace on Naruto's arm unlocked, a wall panel sliding open into a new, small chamber, and Naruto was met with the site of a stunning new suit. Mostly, but not fully, devoid of any orange, it was green and purple, with arm-braces like the one he had just removed. It had purple boots, and purple chest-armor, which flowed down into an almost loin-cloth like piece near the bottom, put together with an orange, skull-like jack-o-lantern insignia as a belt-buckle

But the piece that entranced Naruto the most was the mask, the face of his other-half, so to speak. He felt, no, heard it call to him, begging to be worn, and he found he was happy to oblige. "All you have to do is step inside," Osborn announced, motioning inward. "I won't lie, we're going to give you a second dose of the Performance Enhancer to cause everything to settle and become permanent. And once that's finished. All of this is yours." In a haze of static, Holo-Norman disappeared, leaving Naruto to hesitate for one final moment before, remember what Osborn had said about learning to accept his new changes, stepped inside. As the gas began to flow, psychotic laughter flowed as well, as Naruto pulled off the bridge-builder's clothes, slipping on the Goblin suit in their place. Knowing he still had to meet up with his sensei for now, he bundled his mask up and slipped it into a pouch on his hip. All he had left was for the gas to finish the job.

Back at Tazuna's place, Sasuke and Sakura entered with the groceries, while Kakashi made sure the area was secure. "Kakashi," Tsunami announced, racing from the house. "Did Naruto ever meet up with you?" Kakashi's eye widened.

"He's not here?" he asked, and Tsunami shook her head.

"He left a little while ago. He said that he wanted to meet up with you and find out what happened to him," she replied. "He was gone before I could stop him." Kakashi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"This isn't good," he said, before he sensed something and whipped around, seeing a shadowed figure leaning against one of the trees.

"To the contrary, Kakashi-sensei," he said, and stepping into the light, Kakashi was able to see the face of Naruto looking at him. But that was the only part of the blonde he recognized. Even his Chakra felt different somehow. As he neared the group, Sakura and Sasuke having come out to see the blonde, unsure of what to make of his purple and green get-up, he continued. "This is _very _good."

"Naruto," Sakura said, with relief in her voice that he was alright, yet an anger that he gave them all such a scare also present. "What happened to you. You look different, and not just because of those ridiculous clothes." Naruto just let out a laugh that practically screamed insanity as he leapt into the air, doing a front flip and landing perched on one arm.

"Never felt better," he responded, standing. "Better than you, and you." As he said that, he pointed at both the pink-haired girl and the Uchiha, who both scowled. Turning quickly, Naruto laughed and pointed at Kakashi. "And not sure if better than you, but definitely better looking." Rather than scowl, Kakashi looked on surprised. Naruto was exuding an aura of confidence that he hadn't before. The boy had always been confident, but this was ridiculous. Even his voice had changed, and he had a tone that said he was able to back up what he was claiming.

"Fat chance of that, Loser," Sasuke sighed, shaking his head at his teammate.

"Care to try me?" he asked, smiling dangerously as he saw the tick mark on Sasuke's forehead begin to form. "Come on, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. "I wanna spar with Sasuke, and we need a ref." Kakashi sighed. Normally, he would have declined, feeling Naruto was under the influence of the demon fox. But at the same time, he remembered that not only was he not feeling the Kyuubi's chakra, but Naruto had been claimed to have been captured, stuck with needles, and even gassed, according to Sasuke's account. Perhaps whoever had taken him had done something to alter the blonde's state of mind.

"Alright, but after this, you and I are going to have to have a talk, Naruto," he replied, getting between the two as Sasuke settled into a stance. Looking to both combatants, who nodded that they were ready, he gave the signal to start and Sasuke dashed in, determined to press his attack quickly and end it. But things didn't exactly go according to plan, to say the least. The closer he got, the wider Naruto''s grin became, and his eyes turned black and beady.

His first, and only, punch was caught by Naruto easily, who merely placed his open hand in its path and squeezed down. Sasuke yelled in pain as he was brought to his knees. Laughing like a maniac, Naruto used one hand to pull Sasuke not just from the ground, but into the air, over his head, and throw the boy over a hundred yards, straight into the water next to the house. Sakura just looked on in shock, and Kakashi's eye narrowed. So the blonde really did have some bite to him. Walking over to his sensei, Naruto just adopted an expression that seemed a combination of boredom and amusement.

"Now then, you wanted to talk to me, Sensei," he asked, almost sickeningly sweetly, his voice changing back to normal, for the moment. Looking to Sakura, and to where Sasuke was crawling from the water, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, he'll be fine. Since he was so hot under the collar, I felt he just needed to cool down." Kakashi, though noting the seriousness of the situation, had to force down a laugh. Something to break the tension of this whole situation.

"Let's go inside," he said, the jonin and his genin entering through the upstairs window. Naruto quickly had the top-portion of his Goblin Suit, channeling Chakra to his stomach to make his seal appear, the seal holding back the Kyuubi. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in question, and Naruto once more adopted that same bored/amused expression. "How did you..." Kakashi began to ask.

"Know you were going to check the seal?" Naruto finished. "I'm a genin, Sensei...I'm not stupid. Something strange happens with me, obviously the first thing you'll do is check the seal to make sure I'm not being...influenced." Kakashi was somewhat surprised. Naruto had never been good at thinking quickly and clearly outside of a fight. Now he was able to put two-and-two together to actually predict what he had planned to do. Crouching, Kakashi got in close, lightly tracing the seal with his fingers, checking for any abnormalities.

While he didn't find any, he did give his student a look-over as well. The blonde was taller, leaner, and much more muscular than he had been previously. Given how easily he had bested Sasuke in their spar, if you could call it a spar, he was stronger, faster, and smarter. But given his new personality, he realized that whatever happened to Naruto had possibly caused the blonde to lose his mind.

The day went on like this for the most part, with Naruto remaining mostly quiet except an occasional sarcastic remark or chuckling darkly. Until it was time to get some sleep, Sasuke and Sakura tended to avoid their blonde teammate. Not that he cared. He was having more fun creeping them out.

And so, as it happened, when it was time for them to wake up and head with Tazuna to the work-site, they merely let Naruto sleep in, letting him hang at the house again. As they crept from the room, the blonde, who was only feigning sleep let loose a chuckle, before leaping from his bed. Reaching into his bag, he took out his new sealing scrolls, which Kakashi had shown him how to make at the blonde's insistence after realizing Kakashi probably knew plenty about basic seals if he was trusted enough to examine one much more complicated. Having made sure nobody was around, he called his glider to the window, taking off to the Goblin base.

Now having full access to the weapons arsenal, he sealed just about as many pumpkin bombs, razor bats, seeker projectiles, and refills for his Gob-web cannon in his glider. He needed to have plenty until he could start making more for himself. He likely wouldn't be returning for a while. By the time he gathered everything and sealed them all, while also arming his glider to its fang-like teeth, the sun was already set in the center of the sky. As he neared his destination back at the house, a shrill scream filled the air, and Naruto knew it was Tsunami.

"_Come on, Naruto. It's time. Become the mask,"_ he heard his Goblin mind scream, and with a dark smirk, he slipped on his mask, before increasing his speed.

"Come on, lady," the larger man said, his hand squeezing Tsunami's arm, forcing her to follow. "We'd hate for you to be late to your meeting with Gato." Running from the house, Inari slammed into the legs of the man, causing him to drop to the ground in surprise, before his partner grabbed the young boy by the back of his collar and throwing him away into the dirt, before pulling out his sword.

"Damn kids. No respect for authority," he said, raising his blade. As the samurai holding Tsunami stood up, he heard his partner yell in surprise. Turning, he saw Inari was perfectly fine, but the other man wasn't so lucky, lying on the ground, eyes widened in shock with scorch marks across the chest of his shirt, which was smoking. Letting go of the bridge-builder's daughter, he drew his own sword, looking in every direction for the culprit. Tsunami used the distraction to run, and as he tried to re-grab her, he felt as though he were struck in the back by a bolt of lightning, and he was blasted over, landing in a heap next to his partner.

The two stood, and were greeted by the sight of a green-skinned individual in a strange, purple get-up. He didn't look human. He was standing on a strange, metal gargoyle-type object, green jets on the bottom letting it hover in the air. His beady eyes turned to the woman they had been attempting to abduct and they watched his face become a twisted grin. "Tsunami," he said. "Why don't you bring Inari inside. It's time for the big boys to play." Stunned, knowing it was Naruto beneath the mask, recognizing the strange suit from the day before, she listened to the masked-blonde, ushering her son indoors, as the Goblin turned his attention back to the two thugs. He circled them on his glider, much like a shark would circle prey in the water, cackling with glee and insanity.

"Come on, boys," he laughed. "Let's go for a ride!" From the back of his glider, a net on a cable fired out, wrapping around the two, putting them back to back, before they were ripped from the ground and into the air. They were spun around and around, brought up and down. The two were getting ready to vomit, before the Goblin began moving up high. As he reached his chosen height, he released the cable and switched direction, looping around beneath them as they began to fall back to earth. Clicking a button with his foot, causing a blade, about three and a half feet long, to extend like a tongue from the mouth of his glider. As he came up beneath them, the blade sank into the chest of the first, and came out the chest of the second.

"Oh, tsk tsk," Goblin mocked. "Look at you, getting blood over my nice new suit and glider. I think the two of you could use a bath." Aiming toward the water below, the three dove at break-neck speed toward the sea. "I hope you both can hold your breath...I bet those punctured lungs will help." With one last cackle, they broke the surface of the water, diving deeper and deeper until the light from above looked nothing more than speck. Watching the life leave them, Goblin retracted his blade, leaving the two to sink to the bottom, before shooting upward with such speed, one might think he was trying to beat their air to the surface. Bursting out of the water with a spray of sea and a flare of the glider jets, he turned toward the direction of the bridge.

Gato was practically giddy as he and his assembled mini-army made their way down through the still-heavy mist toward where the battle was winding down. He was about to end this whole thing, and get rid of his obligation to pay Zabuza. The missing-nin would fight Konoha's Jonin, and hopefully they would run each other into the ground to try and kill each other. If not, Gato was sure that his men could finish whichever tired Jonin was left standing. He quirked an eyebrow as he heard a strange noise from above. As he took another step, he was knocked forward by multiple explosions behind him, blowing into his men. He began to turn around, before a blade sunk into his back. As blood began to leak from his mouth, he looked with wide eyes at the green-skinned demon behind him, who took a knee on his glider, leaning in close.

"You'll find Tazuna's family safe and sound...Your thugs, however, are dead and drowned," he whispered darkly. "Mr. Gato, consider this a hostile takeover...a _very_ hostile takeover." The last sound the corrupt corporate executive heard was the laughter of a madman. Retracting his blade, the Goblin landed his glider, stepping off and bowing to the small group of thugs still alive after he had rained their group with Pumpkin Bombs. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he announced. "Say hello to your new boss. The Green Goblin!" His shrill, psychotic laughter sliced through the air and made many of the men shudder.

Chapter end.

Well, this turned out interesting. Perhaps it didn't flow as well as I had at first intended, but it already has double if not triple the number of words I usually place in chapters. I really contribute it to the interesting circumstances behind the conception of the story itself. Originally starting as one of my challenges on my profile, it went untouched from the moment I posted it, until a good friend, Karasu87 (Writer of the popular Naruto/Batman: The Animated Series crossover story 'Naruto: When Darkness Falls'), decided to try his hand.

Naturally, as I had planned on doing the story myself at some point, I decided this was my golden opportunity to try it out. Together, in a somewhat collaborative effort, both Karasu87 and I worked on our own, separate versions of this single idea. By working together, it actually helped us push out a higher quality chapter. Any fans of mine, I'd really appreciate you popping on over and seeing how his spin on the idea went. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed if you do. Be sure to leave a review if you do, and tell him Fan of Fanfics sent you his way. His story will be titled 'Naruto: Legacy of the Goblin. Please and Thank You!

Peace to all my fans

Fan of Fanfics


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